Conventional heavy duty trucks have a large engine covering hood which tilts about a transverse pivot point located above the bumper to expose the engine for servicing. Although commonly made of lightweight materials, these hoods are nevertheless cumbersome to handle in part because of their heaviness and the relatively long moment arm between the center of gravity of the hood and the pivot axis. Moreover, the hoods are dangerous to the operator when moved into the open position due to inadvertent closures caused by wind or other external forces.
An automatic locking device is often disposed between the hood and a portion of the vehicle to secure the hood in the open position to prevent inadvertent closure of the hood and avoid injuring the operator. For example, some vehicles include a manually activated safety cable assembly that automatically locks the hood in the open position when the hood is opened. The safety cable must be activated by the operator to unlock the hood and move the hood into the closed position. Installing a safety cable assembly within a vehicle is time-consuming, difficult, and expensive. Moreover, the safety cable assembly can interfere with other vehicle components, such as cooling modules, auxiliary coolers, and chassis frame packaging components. The safety cable assembly can also inhibit the vehicle steering.
Thus, it is desired to provide a hood support device having a simplified automatic locking system integrated therein.